To establish an International Justice Transparency Week which would open jails and prisons to judges, law enforcement, lawmakers and citizens for annual review.

The Problem

We are petitioning Congress and national governments in other countries to establish an International Justice Transparency Week. Value-added justice practices require an informed judiciary, knowledgeable citizens, and professional input from law enforcement and custody authorities. Justice happens in the light of day. Yet, many jails and prisons are isolated facilities operated in ways that are unnecessarily opaque. Criminal justice policies and practices can only be responsive to community intentions if citizens are aware of how those policies and practices affect the context and lives of the people involved.

Our Solution

Social problems require social solutions. Judges should know where they are sending people. Citizens should know what they are paying for, and criminal justice authorities should have opportunities for describing their challenges and successes.

Justice is by nature relational and collaborative. By dedicating a national week of transparency in justice practices, jails and prisons will be encouraged to open up for tours by joint groups of judges, law enforcement and citizens, thus bringing citizens, police, courts and custody officials together at least annually to demonstrate and discuss progress in outcomes and adding value to all of our communities.

Improvement depends on knowledge, and understanding begins with exposure. This petition will foster both processes in the service of collaborative efforts to add value to communities instead of making things worse.

About Us

The Global Justice Resource Center (GJRC) was created by practitioners as a non-partisan, interdisciplinary organization to foster improvements in criminal justice practices around the world. Our mission is to build social capital in local communities through justice policies that provide residents of those communities with safer and more satisfying places to live. We focus on opportunities for positive change by supporting approaches to criminal justice that add value to society instead of making things worse, and that preserve both democratic ideals and public safety. More about us